Can't believe I ate the whole thing!

[Soundchasm]

Don't know if I can give a quick synopsis of anything, but here goes. Had very little wood this spring so I started scrounging early (first-time scrounger). Learned a lot. Got lucky three times. Heard a grinder in the neighborhood and went to look around. Neighbor was taking down two decent sized ash trees, plus a pine.

Told him I was interested in the wood, and he said two other neighbors were as well. Great, we'll split it three-ways. So I helped the owner buck maybe 1/2 cord for one neighbor. Short story is that the other guys really AREN'T interested! Oh crap, this stuff is big, and I'm just one skinny dude!! Pride kicks in and I can't bail out.

Several 2-3 hour shifts and I'm blowing the sawdust to spread it in the yard to do final cleanup. The biggest round was 43", and I did get a buddy who needed to learn this stuff to help me. One big dangerous round was on a hill aimed at a house, so I drill a hole in it, screwed in a big eyelet thing, and strapped to the truck. We pushed it over and it didn't roll anywhere.

I sharpened my 16" Husky 435 after each shift and what a great thing that is. I had to cut a few of those 36"-43" rounds in half, and even though I got better, I could never quite get a perfect cut through one. Always off by an inch.

It's all back at my place stacked and covered, and I'll split it next spring when my racks are empty. This Ash Borer is a disaster, but the guy saved his house, I learned a lot, and my buddy got his whistle wet on the addiction.



Starting to get it back to the house.



Not ashamed to split something into 1/8's before I pick it up. Learned if the work is too hard I'm doing it wrong.



Split about two piles like this to give to my pal.



The pine is bucked and covered down by the firepit. What an operation for an amateur. Thanks to everybody!

 

[Paulywalnut]

Good job my man. It looks like you did everything right.
You're off to a great start. Now get that stuff split.

 

[TimJ]

Way to do the work.
You took on alot and you will reap alot

 

[cygnus]

Awesome score.
Why not stack splits instead of rounds? If you split it now you will be glad you did.

 

[My Oslo heats my home]

Awesome score.
Why not stack splits instead of rounds? If you split it now you will be glad you did.

I agree, if you can get to splitting it now you will be so much further ahead

 

[Jon1270]

I sharpened my 16" Husky 435

Wait, you cut all of that with a 37cc saw?!

 

[Soundchasm]

Awesome score.
Why not stack splits instead of rounds? If you split it now you will be glad you did.

This has been the year to figure out how to scale up. Still getting it all worked out, and I kind of didn't have a "hey, here's two trees" contingency plan. I believe I have six cords c/s/s, and I predict my consumption to be four. So until I empty some stacks to reconfigure, the only place I've got for new splits is in front of the old splits. I just don't want to split it into a pile when I could split it and stack it. But I'll probably change my mind on that as soon as I get bored!

Wait, you cut all of that with a 37cc saw?!

I did NOT cut those trees down!! I misread for a moment and thought you were asking the length of the bar in metric or Celsius or something. Just checked the specs on the web, and they say 41cc. The first two pictures were before I started. Luckily it was ash and not oak, but I'd set up, open the throttle all the way, and try to gracefully bury the saw (avoiding kickback). Then roll the thing, chalk it, and try to find the cut from the other side. It might have taken longer, but I never sensed I wasn't going to get through or that the saw struggled. The cuts were always productive and the little saw was kind of amazing.

If I could only get the carb adjustment tool, I'd be all set, but that's another thread.